Hand operated brake



INVENTOR h H \\\\\\\U ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1968 H. o. SCHROTER HANDOPERATED BRAKE Filed April 24,

Hans 0. Schrfer BY W 4/ 11/2184.

United States Patent 3,400,606 HAND OPERATED BRAKE Hans O. Schriiter,162 Schliesfach, 8 Munich 22, Germany Continuation-impart of applicationSer. No. 470,371, July 8, 1965. This application Apr. 24, 1967, Ser. No.633,231 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 1, 1965, 36,616; June18, 1965, Sch 37,247 2 Claims. (Cl. 74516) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ahand operated brake applying mechanism comprising a lever 1 adapted tobe swung about a fixed axis 3, a swinging link pivotable about astationary axis 6 and having its free end connected to one end of atension spring 8 whose remote and is anchored to the lever 1, the link 5remaining in engagement with the axis 3 during the first portion of itsswinging movement but disengaging the axis 3 and receding therefromduring the remaining portion of its swinging movement to assist in brakeapplication, and a rigid bar 13 having one end thereof pivotallyconnected to the lever 1 while its other end is adapted to be pivotallyconnected to a vehicle brake, the bar 13 being at a distance from theaxis 3 while the lever 1 is at rest but moving toward the axis 3 duringinitial swinging movement of the lever 1 with simultaneous increase oflever ratio until the bar 13 comes into engagement with the axis 3 whenthe lever ratio will be a maximum, the lever 1 and bar moving in unisonduring continued pivotal movement of the lever 1 while the lever ratiodecreases.

Cross-reference to related applications The present application is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 470,371, filed July 8,1965, now US. Patent 3,316,776, and is directed specifically to themodification shown in original FIGURES 3 and 4 of the earlierapplication, with only minor alterations. The device of the presentapplication produces the same result as the device disclosed in theearlier application, but by means of a different mechanism.

The subject matter of the present application is related to applicantsGerman Patent 1,196,971.

Background of the invention The field of the invention is hand operatedcontrol lever and linkage systems having a variable output force.

The state of the prior art is represented by US. Patents 1,540,247;1,670,472; 2,555,811 and 2,588,027.

Summary of the invention The present invention also relates to a handbrake with a variable ratio translating lever pivotable about a fixedaxis and connected to the brake operating linkages in such a manner thatthe effective lever arm ratio increases during application of the brakeuntil it reaches a maximum, and thereafter diminishes until the leverhas reached the end of its swinging movement. The translating lever hasa pretensioned spring connected to it in such a manner that the springhas little or no effect on the lever during the early part of itsswinging movement, but comes into action to assist in the brakeapplication after the lever has 3,400,606 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 passedthrough a predetermined position which can be adjusted.

Description of the drawing and the preferred embodiment The inventionwill now be described more in detail with reference to the drawing,wherein FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in cross section, of the handlever and its associated parts; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same.

The brake operating hand lever mechanism of the present inventioncomprises a lever 1 with a handle portion 2, mounted for pivotalmovement on an axis 3, projecting laterally from a base plate 4 attachedto a convenient part of the vehicle body. The plate 4 also carries aswinging link 5 pivotally mounted on a stationary axis 6 which can bepositioned in any one of the holes 7 for adjustability, the holes 7being arranged on a circle concentric with the axis 3. The free end ofthe swinging link 5 has a tensile spring 8 connected to it, the outerend of the spring being anchored to the lever 1 at a point adjacent thehandle portion 2. While the lever 1 is at rest, and also during theearly part of its swinging movement, the swinging link 5 remains leaningagainst the same axis 3 on which the lever 1 is pivotally mounted, theforce exerted by the spring being approximately coplanar with the axis 3so as to have little or no effect on the swinging movement of the lever.After the lever 1 has passed through a predetermined point, the exactlocation which will depend on which one of the holes 7 the axis 6 isseated in, the link 5 will move out of engagement with the axis 3 sothat from there on the spring will assist in the swinging movement ofthe lever 1.

The vehicle brakes are actuated by a rigid link 13 having one endpivotally connected to a fixed anchorage 14 on the swinging handle 1,while the other end of this link is pivotally connected at 15 to aflexible cable 16 passing through a stationary guide 17 and from thereto the vehicle brakes. While the hand lever is at rest, the link 13 isat a distance from the axis 3 but during the early movement of the leverthe link 13 will gradually approach the axis 3, thereby graduallyincreasing the lever ratio, until it reaches the position 13' where itWill be in contact with the axis 3 and where the lever ratio will be amaximum. From there on the hand lever 1 and th rigid link 13 will movepivotally in unison about the axis 3 until the link 13 has arrived atits final position 13", and during this last portion of the movement thelever ratio which was at a maximum in position 13' will decrease untilposition 13" is reached because the distance between the axis 3 and theline of pull of the cable 16 will increase.

Any suitable device such as the pawl and ratchet mechanism 9 and 10operated by the pusher bar 11 and plunger 12 can be used for retainingthe hand lever 1 in fixed position, the ratchet sector 9 beingconcentric with the axis 4 so that it can be engaged by the pawl 10while the lever 1 is in any position.

Although a specific form of this invention has been shown and describedin considerable detail, it is to be understood that many obvious changescan be made, especially in the shapes and dimensions of the parts.

I claim:

1. A hand operated brake applying mechanism comprising a lever 1)adapted for swinging movement about a fixed axis (3) by handle (2), aswinging link (5) pivot- 3 able about a stationary axis (6) and havingits free end connected to means (8) for engaging said swinging link withsaid fixed axis during a first portion of the swinging movement of saidlever and disengaging said swinging link from said fixed axis andreceding therefrom during the remaining portion of the swinging movementof said lever to assist in brake application, and a rigid bar (13)having one end thereof pivotally connected to the lever (1) while itsother end is adapted to be pivotally connected to a vehicle brake, thebar (13) being at a distance from the axis (3) while the lever (1) is atrest but moving toward the axis (3) during initial swinging movement ofthe lever (1) by said handle (2) with simultaneous increase of leverratio until the bar (13) comes into engagement with the axis (3) whenthe lever ratio is a maximum, the lever 1) and bar moving in unisonduring continued pivotal movement of the lever 1) With a decrease in thelever ratio.

2. The hand operated brake of claim 1, wherein said means is a tensionspring (8) whose remote end is 20 anchored to the lever (1) between saidfixed axis (3) and said handle (2).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,555,811 6/1951 Peterson.2,588,027 3/ 1952 McCarthy. 1,564,261 12/1925 Mathieson et al. 74-5161,852,286 4/1932 Bragg et al. 74--516 1,977,786 10/1934 Wiseman 74516452,151 5/ 1891 Whittingham 7497 1,540,247 6/ 1925 Bowman 7497 1,670,4725/1928 Millward 7497 FOREIGN PATENTS 631,969 4/ 1927 France.

FRED C. MATTERN, 111., Primary Examiner.

W. S, RATLIFF, Assistant Examiner.

